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Monthly Archives: April 2011

April has come and gone (almost) and like last year, I threw myself into Script Frenzy! This is the second year I have done this and I must be crazy.

The goal is to write 100 pages of original scripted material, such as a screen play, stage play, graphic novels in 30 days. If you think you would like to write the next great Insert your country here Novel, then you need to wait for November, when NaNoWriMo kicks in. I have done that too. Last year was not quite as successful as the year before, but stuff got in the way.

This time, though, I promised myself that I would get it done before the deadline. And I almost did not make it. Disasters at work distracted me. Not really having an idea for the script derailed the first couple of days of writing and then having something crop up just as it looked like there were a few extra days in the month actually reduced my writing time by about 10 days to a little over 20. Now last year, in less than fifteen days, I pumped out 106 pages without breaking a sweat and probably could have done another thirty. This time I struggled to get to 102 and I am not finished with the story. What does it always work out that way?

I am going to chalk it up to the creative process and leave well enough alone. I will probably come back and finish it – if I can find the time, but for now, it is enough to know that I made 100 pages, with a fairly coherent script, and even if the plot wobbles a bit, I am happy with what I have accomplished.

One of the many things that surprised me about the United States was its Jekyll and Hyde persona about religion. Specifically Christmas and Easter. These are the two most holy days on the Christian liturgical calendar, and yet only Christmas is actually looked at as a secular holiday, meaning that it is a “Holiday” as described by the Department of Labour regulations.

And yet, as a new resident, I found that Easter Sunday gets more respect and acknowledgment than even Independence Day, because on Easter Sunday, everything, and I do mean everything, was closed. Malls that would not close for a snow storm are closed on Easter Sunday. Restaurants that are open until all hours of the day and night, were closed on Easter Sunday. Which I found strange in a nation that has a formal separation of Church and State, and further has no official religion. What could be more official than the closing of retail to indicate that the United States has an official, if not documented, religion.

Over the last 20 years, I have kvetched about this, especailly as survey after survey shows that few people follow any particular religion and of those that do, the Christians are rapidly becoming the minority. In fact, if it was not for the influx of so many illegal aliens, Christians would be in the minority. Yet Easter, Good Friday and Sunday are still holidays even though neither day is officially a recognized holiday.

I am happy to report that things are changing. Whether it is because people recognize that being closed on what are one of only two real shopping days in the week, or if it is because it is just silly to be closed on a non-holiday, I find that more and more stores are open for business today, and only one regional mall is closed at all. In fact, it is pretty much a normal Sunday as usual. Even the amount of Easter finery is absent, so perhaps Easter is finally being relegated to its proper place. A holy day on the liturgical calendar for those that feel they need religion in their lives.

The last step is to get rid of the holiday lexicon that is wrapped around things like your holiday weather forecast next. It is a weekend people, that’s all. OK, so it is a weekend when I get a little extra sugar. Now were did I put that chocolate bunny.

For those that have just found me, welcome. For those who followed me first through RadioUserland and then to Blogger, welcome to the new home. First, some ground rules so we all understand each other. This is my place for:

Thoughts, rants and musings on all things of interest, odd, unusual or just plan curious. Prepare to be challenged, insulted and intrigued. Remember that “[n]o one has a right not to be criticized or offended.” — Jonathan Rauch as quoted in The Language Police (pg. 161). Oh, and watch out for the alligator.

If you are easily insulted, feel that the right to free speech should be impinged or feel that being offended offends you, I would suggest you stop reading now.

In general, I believe that religion should be ridiculed, government does some pretty dumb things, and human nature is there for us to mock. I find labels to be repugnant, but I will still categorize things for my own convenience.

So grab a beverage, strap in, and let’s see where this will take us.

For those that would like to look at what has come before, you can find my thoughts on Blogger.